It’s National Poetry Month and I am posting poems using forms, styles, and tools in alphabetical order. (For as long as it works. I may take some poetic license for this.) Jama has graciously gathered all the wonderful poetry blogs at her site, Jama’s Alphabet Soup.
One of my students named this month of writing “April ABCs.”
A is for anaphora. Have you heard of this before? I love it when my gifted kids say “I’ve never heard of that before.” A true teachable moment.
I have written a blog post for Caroline Starr Rose that speaks more about this writing technique, so stay tuned for the publication date for that post.
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or group of words at the beginning of successive phrases. Politicians use it for emphasis. “I Have a Dream” being the most famous. Poets use it to create memorable images and details. When writing with my students, I realized that anaphora can lead to powerful metaphor. If I teach this technique again, I think I would ask the students to include all the senses as well.
Henri-Francois Riesener
I am a Mother
I am the small gold locket you wear on your neck.
I am the scented perfume on your skin.
I am the taste of sweet milk on your tongue.
I am the curl of hair you place behind your ear.
I am the voice that sings a soft lullaby.
I am the warm tender finger wiping away a tear.
I am the earth under your feet, the heart that beats
in time with yours, reminding you each day
you are loved.
–Margaret Simon, all rights reserved
Poetry writing has a way of getting to the core. When the quiet student reads aloud, we realize he’s not only a poet inside, but a real thinking feeling human being. I’m afraid gifted kids, especially the boys, often become a subject of bullying. Sadly, I think K had experienced bullying, and he expressed it in his poem.
This is the quiet kid sitting in the corner.
This is the annoying kid sitting on the porch.
This is the little kid sitting on the lonely swing sets.
This is the lonely kid sitting at the table with no friends.
This is the unnoticeable kid sitting while being bullied.
This is the “weird” kid, a victim with memories and scars
Reflections on the Teche 